I’ve been hearing a lot about probiotics and now bakuchiol is used as the star ingredient, however, kombucha is definitely a first.  With that curiosity and with many of you guys voicing you want to hear about this product, I had to pick it up to review!!  I actually haven’t tried any products from Dr. Ceuracle and know they were very famous for their propolis ampoule back when their name was still Lee Gee Haam.  From what I’m Googling at the moment, it seems like kombucha (a fermented tea using something called SCOBY) has already been used in a couple of Western brands but not many.

What is Kombucha?

Kombucha’s origin story isn’t well documented but historians say it might have come from the Bohai Sea district in China.  It is made using black tea and a bacterial culture called SCOBY (an acronym for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast”).  It is left at room temperature to ferment, resulting in a naturally fizzy, somewhat sour concoction that is filled with natural probiotics and good bacterias to aid in gut health.  I actually learned to brew my own at the beginning of the year and have since successfully kept my little SCOBY hotel alive to this day.  A word of warning though, do not drink too much in one sitting or else you will have light stabbing pains in the ab region or worst, be stuck on the toilet for hours.

How is kombucha skincare beneficial?

Through the fermentation process with the SCOBY, an amplification occurs and concentrates probiotics, vitamin C, B vitamins, and antioxidants to help protect cell damage.  It also contains lactobacillus, a probiotic that can help calm skin irritation and keep the microbiome balanced, which in turn helps repair and strengthen the skin barrier to help fight environmental stressors.  Kombucha also contains lactic acid bacterias which can help lightly exfoliate the skin, brighten as well as even out skin complexion and reduce fine lines and dark spots.

Full name of product:
Dr. Ceurale vegan kombucha tea essence

Limited edition/ Permanent?:
Permanent

Description of product:
“The all-in-one vegan cream essence
Detoxifying impurities for a healthy complexion and providing hydration.

The perfect combination of the highly concentrated vegan tea complexion (78%) and probiotics.

Mechanism
The in & out dual effect, purifying impurities and providing nutrition.
The purifying effect of tea extracts.
The nourishing effect of various nutrition.

Vegan kombucha tea essence includes 780,000 ppm vegan tea complex.

Sunflower seed oil
Extracted by decompressing method, replenishes dehydrated skin and strengthens the skin barrier with ceramide and proteins.

Camellia Sinensis leaf water 58.9%
Compared to pure water, has various nutrition, such as vitamins, tannin, amino acids, and proteins for detox and anti-aging.

Schisandra Chinensis fruit extract 20%
Purifies pores and softens skin texture for better skin condition.

Kombucha tea extract 20%
The fermented black tea has abundant probiotics, vitamin B and various nutrition, helping release toxins and strengthening immunity.”

Price:
38,000 won

Amount of product:
150 mL

Duration before expiration:
1 year after opening

Country of Manufacture:
Made in Korea

Where to buy:
Jolse
Stylevana
Yesstyle
Stylekorean

Ingredients:
Water, Triethylhexanoin, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Trilaureth-4 Phosphate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Polyquaternium-51, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Ceramide Np

How to use:
Shake well before using 

Product packaging:
This Dr. Ceuracle kombucha tea essence comes in a sleek glass bottle with a white twist-off lid.  I do have to say though, the packaging is exactly identical to the famous Laneige cream skin.  Of course, this might just be one of those standard packagings you can choose from through manufacture.  I do have a problem with this leaking a bit every time I open it.  I’m not sure if the top of my lid isn’t secure enough or what, it always just leaks a little, and it’s quite annoying.  I would definitely not travel with this as it is very bulky and heavy, so transfer it into a smaller bottle.

If the bottle is sitting upright and not shaken, there is a definite separation from the “cream” and the kombucha tea.  Vegan skincare for me sometimes isn’t all that effective due to the lack of hydration, however, this product truly blew me out of the water.  The bottle is somewhat frosted, however, that will easily change once you use this product on a daily as it attracts fingerprints and oily finishes from the essence.

Texture/ Finish:
Every time you use it, you must shake it as it is separated.  With just a light shake, the cream and tea easily emulsify together.

The result is this milky bubble tea looking delicious.  The emulsification process also stays for more than an hour.  How would I know this?  I was trying to take pictures with it and needed it to separate but it wouldn’t for a long time LOL.

The texture reminds me a lot of Laneige’s cream skin as well, however, I find this Dr. Ceuracle kombucha tea essence so much more satisfying in every way.  Firstly, it is much thicker when you massage it into your skin, leaving my dry skin highly hydrated due to the glycerin and multiple humectant ingredients used.  For antioxidants, they used Camellia Sinensis leaf extract (aka. green tea extract), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) seed extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, and Tocopherol.  For soothing purposes, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Centella Asiatica Extract were used.

All those amazing ingredients blended together result in an instant boost of hydration, my skin feeling calm and soothed, finished off with a gorgeous dewy texture to the skin.  I was quite hesitant on getting this essence since it is a more “expensive” essence pricing around the $35-$40 range.  I’m usually a gal that gets essences at around $20-$25 hehe.  Throughout the weeks I used this product, it was very nourishing for my skin and I found my skin to be a but less temperamental.  Probiotic in skincare is definitely not going to be one of those fads that come and go, it is here to stay!!

Fragrance?:
No fragrance detected

Pro:
-highly hydrating
-soothing and calming properties
-skin condition stabilized

Con:
-bottle kept leaking when opened

Repurchase?:
Yes!

Stars given out of 5:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall thoughts:
With this being one of the first products I’ve tried from this brand, I’m going to have to check out more of their products.  I know they recently came out with a kombucha moisturizer too!!  I am dying to try that one out.  From what I’m looking at, the only other Korean brand I am seeing with kombucha skincare is from a brand called Aqualabo Kombucha first breath-like toner.  With the letdown of Laneige’s cream skin, mostly due to the crazy hype and cult following behind a mediocre product in my eyes, I’m happy to have found something similar but better that I can recommend to you guys.  This will definitely be an essence that will be well-loved and used and if you are interested, make sure to use my affiliate link in this post to purchase!

*PR sample